Portable wireless listening device

ABSTRACT

An earphone comprising: a device housing that defines an interior cavity within the device housing; an acoustic port formed through a wall of the device housing; an audio driver disposed within the device housing and aligned to emit sound through the acoustic port; a user input region disposed along an exterior surface of the device housing; a flex circuit disposed within the interior cavity, the flex circuit including a first portion bonded at a first location to an inner surface of the device housing directly beneath the user-input region, a second portion bonded at a second location to an inner surface of the device housing spaced apart from the first location, and a third portion extending between the first and second portions; a force pixel disposed within the interior cavity and mounted to the first portion of the flex circuit below the user input region; a plurality of touch pixels disposed within the interior cavity between the force pixel and the user input region; sensor control circuitry disposed within the interior cavity and mounted to the second portion of the flex circuit; and a wireless antenna disposed within the interior cavity defined by the device housing.

BACKGROUND

Portable listening devices, such as headphones, can be used with a widevariety of electronic devices such as portable media players, smartphones, tablet computers, laptop computers, stereo systems, and othertypes of devices. Portable listening devices have historically includedone or more small speakers configured to be place on, in, or near auser’s ear, structural components that hold the speakers in place, and acable that electrically connects the portable listening device to anaudio source. Wireless portable listening devices that do not include acable and instead, wirelessly receive a stream of audio data from awireless audio source, have become ubiquitous over the last severalyears. Such wireless portable listening devices can include, forinstance, wireless earbud devices or wireless in-ear hearing devicesthat operate in pairs (one for each ear) or individually for outputtingsound to, and receiving sound from, the user.

While wireless portable listening devices have many advantages overwired portable listening devices and have become a very popular withconsumers, improved wireless portable listening devices are desirable.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present disclosure describes various embodiments of portablelistening devices that can enable a user to experience high-end acousticperformance and a pleasant, positive user experience as well as variousembodiments of deformable ear tips that can improve the listeningexperience. Other embodiments pertain to a case for charging and storingone or more portable wireless listening devices. Still other embodimentspertain to a system that includes both a pair of portable wirelesslistening devices and a charging case for the devices.

According to some embodiments, an earphone is provided. The earphone caninclude: a device housing that defines an interior cavity within thedevice housing; an acoustic port formed through a wall of the devicehousing; an audio driver disposed within the device housing and alignedto emit sound through the acoustic port; a user input region disposedalong an exterior surface of the device housing; a flex circuit disposedwithin the interior cavity, the flex circuit including a first portionbonded at a first location to an inner surface of the device housingdirectly beneath the user-input region, a second portion bonded at asecond location to an inner surface of the device housing spaced apartfrom the first location, and a third portion extending between the firstand second portions; a force pixel disposed within the interior cavityand mounted to the first portion of the flex circuit below the userinput region; a plurality of touch pixels disposed within the interiorcavity between the force pixel and the user input region; sensor controlcircuitry disposed within the interior cavity and mounted to the secondportion of the flex circuit; and a wireless antenna disposed within theinterior cavity defined by the device housing.

In some embodiments an earphone can include: a device housing includinga speaker housing and a stem extending away from the speaker housingportion, wherein the speaker housing and stem combine to define aninterior cavity within the device housing; an acoustic port formedthrough a wall of the speaker housing; an audio driver disposed withinthe speaker housing and aligned to emit sound through the acoustic port;a user input region disposed along an exterior surface of the stem; aflex circuit disposed within the interior cavity, the flex circuitincluding a first portion bonded at a first location to an inner surfaceof the stem directly beneath the user-input region, a second portionbonded at a second location to an inner surface of the stem spaced apartfrom the first location, and a third portion extending between the firstand second portions; a force pixel disposed within the interior cavityand mounted to the first portion of the flex circuit below the userinput region; a plurality of touch pixels disposed within the interiorcavity between the force pixel and the user input region; sensor controlcircuitry disposed within the interior cavity and mounted to the secondportion of the flex circuit; and an antenna disposed within the interiorcavity along a length of the stem.

In various implementations, the earphone can include one or more of thefollowing features. The touch pixels can be formed within the firstportion of the flex circuit. The force pixel can include a firstcapacitive plate mounted to the flex circuit and a second capacitiveplate mounted to the antenna in a spaced apart relationship with thefirst capacitor plate. The force pixel further can include a foam layercoupled between the first and second capacitor plates. The plurality oftouch pixels can be spaced apart from each other along a length of thestem within the user input region. The flex circuit can be laminated tothe inner surface of the housing at the first and second locations usinga b-stage system in which a first low temperature cure step partiallycures the adhesive material and is followed by a UV cure step to fullycure the adhesive and bond the laminate to the wall. The sensor controlcircuitry can be operatively coupled to excite and capture signals fromboth the touch pixels and the force pixel. The sensor control circuitrycan include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that isoperatively coupled to excite the touch pixels and the force pixel at acommon frequency.

In various implementations, the sensor control circuitry can include oneor more of the following features. The sensor control circuitry can beresponsive to at least first, second and third operating modes thatdiffer from each other in an amount of power consumed by the sensorcontrol circuitry and force and touch sensors. The first operating modecan be activated upon receiving one or more signals indicating that theearphones are not within a charging case and not within an ear of auser. The second operating mode can be activated upon a receiving one ormore signals that the earphones are detected within an ear of a userwhile not being actively used. The third operating mode can be activatedupon a receiving one or more signals that the earphones are detectedwithin an ear of a user while being actively used. When in the firstoperating mode, the sensor control circuitry can electrically couple theplurality of touch pixels together and sample the plurality of touchpixels together as a single touch pixel. When in the third operatingmode, the sensor control circuitry can monitor each of the plurality oftouch pixels separately. When in the first operating mode, the sensorcontrol circuitry can sample the force pixel and the plurality of touchpixels at a baseline frequency rate. When in the third operating mode,the sensor control circuitry can sample the force pixel and theplurality of touch pixels at a standard frequency that is substantiallyhigher than the baseline frequency rate. When in the second operatingmode, the sensor control circuitry can electrically couple the pluralityof touch pixels together and sample the plurality of touch pixelstogether as a single touch pixel and force pixel at the standardfrequency rate. The sensor control circuitry can be further responsiveto fourth and fifth operating modes where, in each of the fourth andfifth operating modes the sensor control circuitry and force and touchsensors consume less power than in any of the first, second and thirdoperating modes. The fourth operating mode can be activated uponreceiving one or more signals that indicate the earphone is in thecharging case and fully charged. The fifth operating mode can beactivated upon receiving one or more signals that indicate the earphoneis in the charging case and either not fully charged or that a lid ofthe charging case is open. When in the third operating mode, the sensorcontrol circuitry can repeatedly perform a plurality of sensor statuschecks at a standard frequency rate. In each sensor status check, thesensor control circuitry can perform a plurality of operationsincluding: detecting a noise level, detecting whether the force sensorhas been activated, and individually detecting whether each of theplurality of touch pixels has been activated. The sensor controlcircuitry can execute a baseline procedure check at a baseline frequencyrate that is at least an order of magnitude less than the standardfrequency rate. During each baseline procedure check, the sensor controlcircuitry can perform a first plurality of operations in which a voltagesignal is applied to the force and touch pixels at a first frequency andthen perform a second plurality of operations in which the voltagesignal is applied to the force and touch pixels at a second frequency,different from the first frequency. The plurality of first and secondoperations can each include: detecting a noise level, detecting whetherthe force sensor has been activated, and individually detecting whethereach of the plurality of touch pixels has been activated.

According to some embodiments, a deformable ear tip is provided. The eartip can include: an annular inner ear tip body having a sidewallextending between first and second opposing ends thereby defining asound channel through the ear tip; an annular outer flange integrallyformed with and surrounding the first end of the inner ear tip body andextending towards the inner ear tip second end forming an air gapbetween the annular inner ear tip body and the annular outer flangealong a portion of a length of the ear tip, wherein the outer flangecomprises a first material having a first durometer and is sized andshaped to be inserted into a human ear canal; and an inner flangeintegrally formed with the inner ear tip body and comprising a secondmaterial having a second durometer less than the first durometer, theinner flange body extending from a location along the inner ear tip bodybetween the first and second ends towards an inner surface of the outerflange body.

In various implementations, the ear tip can include one or more of thefollowing features. The outer flange can have a first radius ofcurvature and the inner flange can have a second radius of curvaturegreater than the first radius of curvature. The ear tip can be formedwith a double shot injection molding process in which one shot forms theouter flange and an upper portion of the inner ear tip body and a secondshot forms the inner flange and a lower portion of the inner ear tipbody. The inner flange can extend fully around a perimeter of the innerear tip body. The inner flange can physical contacts the inner surfaceof the outer flange. The inner flange can physically contact the innersurface of the outer flange at a location where the outer flange curvesinward towards the inner ear tip body. The sidewall of the inner ear tipbody can gradually vary in thickness from a first thickness at the firstend to a second thickness at the second end. The second thickness can begreater than the first thickness. The ear tip can further include anannular rigid attachment structure coupled to the second end of theinner ear tip body. The annular rigid attachment member can include anattachment member sidewall that defines a central opening that isaligned with and forms part of the sound channel. The attachment membersidewall can include at least one control leak formed there throughcreating an acoustic pathway between an ambient environment and thesound channel.

According to some embodiments, an earphone charging case is provided.The charging case can include: a housing having a peripheral wall thatdefines a shell; a frame insert coupled to the housing and extendinginto the shell, the frame insert having one or more insert walls thatdefine first and second pockets sized and shaped to accept first andsecond wireless earphones, respectively, wherein the one or more insertwalls cooperate with the housing primary wall to define a sealed chamberwithin the charging case; a lid coupled to the housing and operablebetween a closed position in which the lid covers the first and secondpockets and an open position in which the first and second pockets areexposed; a speaker module disposed within the sealed chamber, thespeaker module comprising an audio driver having a diaphragm thatseparates a front volume of the audio driver from a back volume of theaudio driver and a speaker vent disposed within the back volume; one ormore first openings formed through the peripheral wall and opening intothe front volume, wherein the audio driver is positioned and aligned toemit sound into the front volume and through the one or more acousticopenings; and one or more second openings formed through the peripheralwall at a location spaced apart from the front volume, wherein at leastone of the one or more second openings is an acoustic vent acousticallycoupled to the back volume of the audio driver through the speaker vent.

In various implementations, an earphone charging case can include one ormore of the following features. The charging case can include amulti-layer mesh spanning across the acoustic vent. The multi-layer meshcan include an outer cosmetic mesh, an inner clad layer, and an acousticmesh disposed between the cosmetic mesh and the clad layer. The innerclad layer can include a non-woven thermoplastic layer and a hydrophobiclayer, and in some implementations the inner clad layer can include anon-woven polyethylene terephthalate (PET) mesh layer and a hydrophobicPolytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) layer. The cosmetic mesh can include, foreach of the one or more second openings, a protrusion that extends fromwithin the housing into the respective second opening. The charging casecan include an eyelet mechanically attached to a peripheral wall of thecharging case. Each of the first and second pockets of the frame insertcan include a generally tubular portion that extends from an upperportion of the housing towards a bottom surface of the peripheral wall.The charging case can include a wireless antenna that extends from abottom portion of the housing towards an upper portion of the housing inan area between one of the first and second pockets and a side surfaceof the peripheral wall. The sealed chamber can be sealed in accordancewithin at least IPX4 requirements. The charging case can be less than 2½ inches long, less than 2 inches high and less than 1 inch deep. Thecharging case can include controller circuitry including a processor andmemory, wherein the memory includes computer-readable instructions that,when executed by the processor, communicate with a host device torespond to commands to emit sound over the speaker. The charging casecan include circuitry and an antenna that cooperate to wirelessly send asecure signal including information indicating a physical location ofthe charging case that can be detected by external devices over awireless network.

To better understand the nature and advantages of the present invention,reference should be made to the following description and theaccompanying figures. It is to be understood, however, that each of thefigures is provided for the purpose of illustration only and is notintended as a definition of the limits of the scope of the presentinvention. Also, as a general rule, and unless it is evident to thecontrary from the description, where elements in different figures useidentical reference numbers, the elements are generally either identicalor at least similar in function or purpose.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified illustration of an exemplary portable electroniclistening device system having a host device configured as a smartphone, a case, and a pair of wireless listening devices configured asearbuds, according to some embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of various components of a portablewireless listening system according to some embodiments;

FIGS. 3A-3C are simplified views of a portable wireless earbud accordingto some embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a simplified cross-sectional schematic diagram of a previouslyknown in-ear earphone;

FIG. 5 is a simplified cross-sectional schematic diagram of an in-earearphone according to some embodiments;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are simplified top plan and cross-sectional views of anozzle portion of earphone according to some embodiments;

FIG. 7 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a portion of an earphoneaccording to some embodiments;

FIG. 8 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a portion of an earphoneaccording to some embodiments;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are simplified cross-sectional and exploded perspectiveviews, respectively, of a multi-layer mesh according to someembodiments;

FIG. 10A is a simplified rear perspective view of an earphone having atouch-sensitive and pressure-sensitive user interface according to someembodiments;

FIGS. 10B and 10C are simplified cross-sectional illustrations along awidth of the stem portion of the earphone depicted in FIG. 10A accordingto some embodiments;

FIGS. 11A and 11B are simplified cross-sectional illustrations along alength of the stem portion of an earphone according to some embodiments;

FIG. 11C is a simplified cross-sectional illustration along a diameterof the stem portion of an earphone in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 12 is a state diagram depicting the different power modes accordingto some embodiments;

FIG. 13 is a simplified timing chart depicting sequences of stepsassociated different states of operation of an earphone according tosome embodiments;

FIG. 14 is a simplified cross-sectional illustration of a previouslyknown ear tip;

FIG. 15 is a simplified cross-sectional illustration of a double flangeear tip according to some embodiments;

FIG. 16 is a simplified cross-sectional illustration of a double flangeear tip according to some embodiments;

FIG. 17A is a simplified illustration of an earphone charging caseaccording to some embodiments in which a lid of the charging case isopen;

FIGS. 17B and 17C are simplified front view and rear view illustrations,respectively, of the earphone charging case shown in FIG. 17A with thelid of the charging case closed;

FIG. 18 is a simplified cross-sectional illustration of an earphonecharging case according to some embodiments;

FIG. 19A is a simplified cross-sectional illustration of a speakermodule disposed within an earphone charging case according to someembodiments;

FIG. 19B is a simplified cross-sectional illustration of a B-ventdisposed within an earphone charging case according to some embodiments;and

FIG. 20 is a simplified perspective view of a charging case that canstore a pair of earbuds according to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some embodiments of the disclosure pertain to a portable wirelesslistening that can deliver high-end acoustic performance to a user alongwith a pleasant and intuitive user experience. Other embodiments pertainto a case for charging and storing one or more portable wirelesslistening devices. Still other embodiments pertain to a system thatincludes both a pair of portable wireless listening devices and acharging case for the devices.

As used herein, the term “portable listening device” includes anyportable device configured to be worn by a user and placed such that aspeaker of the portable listening device is adjacent to or in a user’sear. A “portable wireless listening device” is a portable listeningdevice that is able to receive and/or send streams of audio data from orto a second device without a wire connecting the portable wirelesslistening device to the second device using, for example, a wirelesscommunication protocol.

Headphones are one type of portable listening device, headsets (acombination of a headphone and an attached microphone) are another andhearing aids (in-ear devices that are designed to augment sounds fromthe surrounding environment to improve a user’s hearing) are still anadditional type of portable listening device. As used herein, the term“headphones” represents a pair of small, portable listening devices thatare designed to be worn on or around a user’s head. They convert anelectrical signal to a corresponding sound that can be heard by theuser. Headphones, which can include a microphone incorporated within ahousing component of the headphone, include traditional headphones thatare worn over a user’s head and include left and right earcups connectedto each other by a headband, and earphones (very small headphones thatare designed to be fitted directly in a user’s ear). Traditionalheadphones include both over-ear headphones (sometimes referred to aseither circumaural or full-size headphones) that have earpads that fullyencompass a user’s ears, and on-ear headphones (sometimes referred to assupra-aural headphones) that have earpads that press against a user’sear instead of surrounding the ear.

The term “earphones”, which can also be referred to as ear-fittingheadphones, includes both small headphones, sometimes referred to as“earbuds”, that fit within a user’s outer ear facing the ear canalwithout being inserted into the ear canal, and in-ear headphones,sometimes referred to as canal phones, that are inserted in the earcanal itself. Thus, earphones can be another type of portable listeningdevice that are configured to be positioned substantially within auser’s ear. As used herein, the term “ear tip”, which can also bereferred to as earmold, includes pre-formed, post-formed, orcustom-molded sound-directing structures that at least partially fitwithin an ear canal. Ear tips can be formed to have a comfortable fitcapable of being worn for long periods of time. They can have differentsizes and shapes to achieve a better seal with a user’s ear canal and/orear cavity.

Example Wireless Listening System

FIG. 1 is an example of a wireless listening system 100 according tosome embodiments. System 100 can include a host device 110, a pair ofportable wireless listening devices 130 (e.g., left and right earphones)and a charging case 150. Host device 110 is depicted in FIG. 1 as asmart phone but can be any electronic device that can transmit audiodata to portable listening device 130. Other, non-limiting examples ofsuitable host devices 110 include a laptop computer, a desktop computer,a tablet computer, a smart watch, an audio system, a video player, andthe like.

As depicted graphically in FIG. 1 , host device 110 can be wirelesslycommunicatively coupled with portable wireless listening devices 130 andcharging case 150 through wireless communication links 160 and 162.Similarly, portable wireless listening devices 130 can becommunicatively coupled to charging case 150 via wireless communicationlink 164. Each of the wireless communication links 160, 162 and 164 canbe a known and established wireless communication protocol, such as aBluetooth protocol, a WiFi protocol, or any other acceptable protocolthat enables electronic devices to wirelessly communicate with eachother. Thus, host device 110 can exchange data directly with portablewireless listening devices 130, such as audio data, that can betransmitted over wireless link 160 to wireless listening devices 130 forplay back to a user, and audio data that can be received by host device110 as recorded/inputted from microphones in the portable wirelesslistening devices 130. Host device 110 can also be wirelesslycommunicatively coupled with charging case 150 via wireless link 162 sothat the host device 110 can exchange data with the charging case, suchas data indicating the battery charge level data for case 150, dataindicating the battery charge level for portable wireless listeningdevices 130, data indicating the pairing status of portable wirelesslistening devices 130.

Portable wireless listening devices 130 can be stored within case 150,which can protect the devices 130 from being lost and/or damaged whenthey are not in use and can also provide power to recharge the batteriesof portable wireless listening devices 230 as discussed below. In someembodiments portable wireless listening devices 130 can also bewirelessly communicatively coupled with charging case 150 via wirelesslink 164 so that, when the devices are worn by a user, audio data fromcase 150 can be transmitted to portable wireless listening devices 130.As an example, charging case 150 can be coupled to an audio sourcedifferent than host device 110 via a physical connection, e.g., anauxiliary cable connection. The audio data from the audio source can bereceived by charging case 150, which can then wirelessly transmit thedata to wireless listening devices 130. That way, a user can hear audiostored on or generated by an audio source by way of wireless listeningdevices 130 even though the audio source does not have wireless audiooutput capabilities.

As will be appreciated herein, portable wireless listening devices 130can include several features can enable the devices to be comfortablyworn by a user for extended periods of time and even all day. Eachportable wireless listening device 130 can be shaped and sized to fitsecurely between the tragus and anti-tragus of a user’s ear so that theportable listening device is not prone to falling out of the ear evenwhen a user is exercising or otherwise actively moving. Itsfunctionality can also enable the wireless listening devices 130 toprovide a user interface to host device 110 so that the user may notneed to utilize a graphical interface of host device 110 for certainfunctions or operations of either the portable wireless listeningdevices or the host device. In other words, wireless listening devices130 can be sufficiently sophisticated that they can enable the user toperform certain day-to-day operations from host device 110 solelythrough interactions with wireless listening devices 130. This cancreate further independence from host device 110 by not requiring theuser to physically interact with, and/or look at the display screen of,host device 110, especially when the functionality of wireless listeningdevices 130 is combined with the voice control capabilities of hostdevice 110. Thus, in some instances portable wireless listening devices130 can enable a true hands free experience for the user.

Details of an example earphone, which can be representative of each ofthe portable wireless listening devices 130 are discussed below. First,however, reference is made to FIG. 2 , which is a simplified blockdiagram of various components of a wireless listening system 200according to some embodiments that includes a host device 210, a pair ofportable wireless listening devices (PWLDs) 230 (e.g., a right PWLD 230and a left PWLD 230) and a charging case 250. System 200 can berepresentative of system 100 shown in FIG. 1 and host device 210,portable wireless listening devices 230 and charging case 250 can berepresentative of host device 110, portable wireless listening devices130 and charging case 150, respectively. Each portable wirelesslistening device 230 can receive and generate sound to provide anenhanced user interface for host device 210. For convenience, thediscussion below refers to a single portable wireless listening device230, but it is to be understood that, in some embodiments, a pair ofportable listening devices can cooperate together for use in a user’sleft and right ears, respectively, and each portable wireless listeningdevice in the pair can include the same or similar components.

Portable wireless listening device 230 can include a computing system231 that executes computer-readable instructions stored in a memory bank(not shown) for performing a plurality of functions for portablewireless listening device 230. Computing system 231 can be one or moresuitable computing devices, such as microprocessors, computer processingunits (CPUs), digital signal processing units (DSPs), field programmablegate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs)and the like.

Computing system 231 can be operatively coupled to a user interfacesystem 232, communication system 234, and a sensor system 236 forenabling portable wireless listening device 230 to perform one or morefunctions. For instance, user interface system 232 can include a driver(e.g., speaker) for outputting sound to a user, one or more microphonesfor inputting sound from the environment or the user, one or more LEDsfor providing visual notifications to a user, a pressure sensor or atouch sensor (e.g., a resistive or capacitive touch sensor) forreceiving user input, and/or any other suitable input or output device.Communication system 234 can include wireless and wired communicationcomponents for enabling portable wireless listening device 230 to sendand receive data/commands from host device 210. For example, in someembodiments communication system 234 can include circuitry that enablesportable wireless listening device 230 to communicate with host device210 over wireless link 260 via a Bluetooth or other wirelesscommunication protocol. In some embodiments communication system 234 canalso enable portable wireless listening device 230 to wirelesslycommunicate with charging case 250 via wireless link 264. Sensor system236 can include proximity sensors (e.g., optical sensors, capacitivesensors, radar, etc.), accelerometers, microphones, and any other typeof sensor that can measure a parameter of an external entity and/orenvironment.

Portable wireless listening device 230 can also include a battery 238,which can be any suitable energy storage device, such as a lithium ionbattery, capable of storing energy and discharging stored energy tooperate portable wireless listening device 230. The discharged energycan be used to power the electrical components of portable wirelesslistening device 230. In some embodiments, battery 238 can be arechargeable battery that enables the battery to be repeatedly chargedas needed to replenish its stored energy. For instance, battery 238 canbe coupled to battery charging circuitry (not shown) that is operativelycoupled to receive power from charging case interface 239. Caseinterface 239 can, in turn, electrically couple with earbud interface252 of charging case 250. In some embodiments, power can be received byportable wireless listening device 230 from charging case 250 viaelectrical contacts within case interface 239. In some embodiments,power can be wirelessly received by portable wireless listening device230 via a wireless power receiving coil within case interface 239.

Charging case 250 can include a battery 258 that can store and dischargeenergy to power circuitry within charging case 250 and to recharge thebattery 238 of portable wireless power listening device 230. Asmentioned above, in some embodiments circuitry within earbud interface252 can transfer power to portable wireless listening device 230 througha wired electrical connection between contacts in charging case 250 thatare electrically coupled to contacts in portable wireless listeningdevice 250 to charge battery 238. While case 250 can be a device thatprovides power to charge battery 238 through a wired interface withdevice 230 in some embodiments, in other embodiments case 250 canprovide power to charge battery 238 through a wireless power transfermechanism instead of or in addition to a wired connection. For example,earbud interface can include a wireless power transmitter coil that cancouple with a wireless power receiving coil within portable wirelesslistening device 230.

Charging case 250 can also include a case computing system 255 and acase communication system 251. Case computing system 255 can be one ormore processors, ASICs, FPGAs, microprocessors, and the like foroperating case 250. Case computing system 255 can be coupled to earbudinterface 252 and can control the charging function of case 250 torecharge batteries 238 of the portable wireless listening devices 230,and case computing system 255 can also be coupled to case communicationsystem 251 for operating the interactive functionalities of case 250with other devices, including portable wireless listening device 230. Insome embodiments, case communication system 251 includes a Bluetoothcomponent, or any other suitable wireless communication component, thatwirelessly sends and receives data with communication system 234 ofportable wireless listening device 230. Towards this end, each ofcharging case 250 and portable wireless listening device 230 can includean antenna formed of a conductive body to send and receive such signals.Case 250 can also include a user interface 256 that can be isoperatively coupled to case computing system 255 to alert a user ofvarious notifications. For example, the user interface can include aspeaker that can emit audible noise capable of being heard by a userand/or one or more LEDs or similar lights that can emit a light that canbe seen by a user (e.g., to indicate whether the portable listeningdevices 230 are being charged by case 250 or to indicate whether casebattery 258 is low on energy or being charged).

Host device 210, to which portable wireless listening device 230 is anaccessory, can be a portable electronic device, such as a smart phone,tablet, or laptop computer. Host device 210 can include a host computingsystem 212 coupled to a battery 214 and a host memory bank (not shown)containing lines of code executable by host computing system 212 foroperating host device 210. Host device 210 can also include a hostsensor system 215, e.g., accelerometer, gyroscope, light sensor, and thelike, for allowing host device 210 to sense the environment, and a hostuser interface system 216, e.g., display, speaker, buttons, touchscreen, and the like, for outputting information to and receiving inputfrom a user. Additionally, host device 210 can also include a hostcommunication system 218 for allowing host device 210 to send and/orreceive data from the Internet or cell towers via wirelesscommunication, e.g., wireless fidelity (WiFi), long term evolution(LTE), code division multiple access (CDMA), global system for mobiles(GSM), Bluetooth, and the like. In some embodiments, host communicationsystem 218 can also communicate with communication system 234 inportable wireless listening device 230 via a wireless communication link262 so that host device 210 can send audio data to portable wirelesslistening device 230 to output sound, and receive data from portablewireless listening device 230 to receive user inputs. The communicationlink 262 can be any suitable wireless communication line such asBluetooth connection. By enabling communication between host device 210and portable wireless listening device 230, wireless listening device230 can enhance the user interface of host device 210.

1. Earphones

Portable wireless devices according to some embodiments can include anumber of different features that provide a user with improved audioquality and a superior user experience as compared to many previouslyknown portable wireless devices. To illustrate and explain some suchfeatures, reference is first made to FIGS. 3A-3C, which are simplifiedviews of a wireless earphone 300. Specifically, FIG. 3A illustrates afront perspective view of a portable listening device according to anembodiment of the disclosure; FIG. 3B illustrates a rear perspectiveview of the portable listening device shown in FIG. 3A; and FIG. 3Cillustrates a front perspective view of the portable listening deviceshown in FIG. 3A with its ear tip removed. Those skilled in the art willreadily appreciate that the description of earphone 300 in FIGS. 3A-3Cis provided for illustrative purposes only and that, as discussed above,while earphone 300 is an in-ear headphone that represents a specificexample of a portable listening device according to some embodiments,embodiments of the invention are not limited to in-ear headphones or tothe specific features of earphone 300 as discussed below.

Earphone 300 can include a housing 310 and an ear tip 320 that candirect sound from an internal audio driver (e.g., a speaker) out ofhousing 310 and into a user’s ear canal. Housing 310 can be made from,for example, a hard radio frequency (RF) transparent plastic such asacrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or polycarbonate. In someembodiments, housing 310 can be made from one or more components thatcan be bonded together (e.g,. with tongue and groove joints and anappropriate adhesive) to form a monolithic housing structure with asubstantially seamless appearance.

Housing 310 can include a speaker housing 312 and a stem 314 extendingfrom the speaker housing 312 at an angle. Stem 314 can be substantiallycylindrical in construction, but it can include a planar region 330 thatdoes not follow the curvature of the cylindrical construction. Planarregion 330 can indicate an area where the wireless listening device iscapable of receiving user input. For instance, a user input can beinputted by squeezing stem 314 at planar region 330 or sliding a fingeralong a portion of the planar region. Stem 314 can also includeelectrical contacts 340 and 342 for making contact with correspondingelectrical contacts in charging case that can store and charge a pair ofearphones 300. Electrical contacts 340, 342 provide a physical interfacethat can be electrically coupled with corresponding electrical contactsin a corresponding charging case (e.g., charging case 150). It is to beunderstood that embodiments are not limited to the particular shape andformat of the housing 310 depicted in FIGS. 3A-3C. For example, in someembodiments the housing does not include a stem or similar structure andin some embodiments an anchor or other structure can be attached to orextend away from the housing to further secure the earbud to a featureof the user’s ear.

Also shown in FIG. 3A is cap 346 that is part of overall housing 310 andcan be affixed to an end of stem 314 forming a water tight seal with thestem. A bottom microphone (not shown) can be attached to an interiorsurface of cap 346 and the cap can include an acoustic port (not shown)that allows the microphone to capture sounds from the environment. Cap346 can also include two seats along its external surface on oppositesides of the cap for the two contacts 340, 342. The two seats can berecessed a sufficient amount such that the contacts 340, 342 can besecured to the seats and positioned flush with an outer surface of cap346 creating a smooth, seamless structure that has an improvedappearance and reliability. An electrical connection to circuitry withinstem 314 can be made to each of contacts 340, 342 through an appropriatecutout or opening in cap 346 that can be covered by the contacts.

In some embodiments housing 310 can be formed of a seemingly monolithicouter structure without any obvious seams or rough edges. Housing 310can form a shell that defines an interior cavity (not shown) in whichthe various components of earphone 300 are positioned. For example,enclosed within housing 310 can be a processor or other type ofcontroller, one or more computer-readable memories, wirelesscommunication circuitry, an antenna, a rechargeable battery, powerreceiving circuitry and various sensors, such as an accelerometer, aphotodetector, force and touch sensors and the like, none of which areshown in any of FIGS. 3A-3C. Housing 310 can also house an audio driver(i.e., a speaker) and one or more microphones. The speaker and one ormore microphones can each be positioned within housing 310 at locationsadjacent to audio openings that extend through housing 310 to allow thespeaker and the one or more microphones to transmit and receive audiowaves through the housing.

Some or all of such audio openings can be covered by a mesh. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 3C, a mesh 350 can be disposed over an audioport formed in speaker housing 312. A speaker can be positioned withinthe speaker housing and aligned to emit sound through the audio port,through mesh 350 and through a central channel 322 that extends throughear tip 320 into a user’s ear canal. As another example, a rear vent canbe formed through speaker housing 312 and covered with a mesh 352. Therear vent can be acoustically coupled to a back volume of the speakerhousing to provide improved acoustic performance of the earphone. Asstill another example, a microphone port can formed through housing 310at a location where speaker housing 312 and stem 314 are joined andcovered by a mesh 354. A microphone can be disposed within housing 310at a location adjacent to the microphone port such that the microphonecan receive sound waves through mesh 354 and through the microphoneport.

Earphone 300 can also include an optical sensor 356 that can be used todetermine when the earphone is being worn within a user’s ear. Theoptical sensor 356 can be strategically positioned at a location alonghousing 310 that is likely to be in contact with or directly facing aninner surface of the average user’s ears when the earphone is worn bythe user. In this manner, the optical sensor can be used, sometimes inconjunction with other sensors, to determine whether earphone 300 isworn by a user and positioned within the user’s ear as discussed in moredetail below. In some embodiments, the optical sensor can be positionedbehind an optically transparent window that is positioned along speakerhousing 310.

Ear tip 320 can be made primarily from a deformable material and can besized and shaped to fit within a user’s ear canal In the embodimentdepicted in FIGS. 3A-3C, ear tip can be removably attached to speakerhousing 310 and is shown in FIG. 3A in an attached state and in FIG. 3Cin a detached stated.

2. Front Porting for ANC

One benefit that a deformable ear tip, such as ear tip 320, provides isthat when the ear tip is inserted into a user’s ear canal, the ear tipcan form a seal with the inner wall of the ear canal attenuating orblocking out external noises. The seal between a deformable ear tip andthe user’s ear canal can form a closed acoustic architecture thatenables the in-ear headphone to have improved noise cancellationfeatures as opposed to earphones that have an open acousticarchitecture.

Some embodiments described herein pertain to earphones that have adeformable ear tip that enable a closed acoustic architecture withimproved active noise cancellation. To illustrate, reference is firstmade to FIG. 4 , which is a simplified cross-sectional illustration ofan in-ear earphone 400. Earphone 400 includes a housing 420 an ear tip430. As shown in FIG. 4 , earphone 400 is being worn by a user with eartip 430 inserted into an ear canal 410 of the user’s ear and spacedapart from the user’s ear drum 412. Earphone 400 represents a previouslyknown earphone.

Housing 420 includes a nozzle 425 to which ear tip 430 can be removablyattached. An audio driver 422 and microphone 424 are positioned withinhousing 420 and/or nozzle 425 that defines an audio port through whichaudio driver 422 can deliver sound. When ear tip 430 is coupled tonozzle 425, sound can travel from driver 422, through nozzle 425 andthrough an audio channel 434 formed in ear tip 430 to a user’s ear drum.Nozzle 425 and ear tip 430 can include meshes 426 and 432, respectively,that extend across and cover an audio channel that extends through thenozzle and ear tip to prevent debris and earwax from invading housing420. During use, a slight pressure can sometimes build up within earcanal 410 that some users find uncomfortable. To reduce such pressure,ear tip 430 can include a pressure leak path 436 that can be through,for example, one or more small openings in a wall of the ear tip thatenable pressure from within ear canal 410 to escape to the ambientenvironment.

Microphone 424 can be employed in conjunction with circuitry (not shown)within the earphone 400 to implement an active noise canceling feature.Microphone 424 can be attached to housing 420 by a bridge 428, which ispositioned between microphone 424 and the distal end of nozzle 425. Anacoustic path 440 between ear drum 412 and microphone 424 extendsthrough ear canal 410, ear tip 430 and meshes 432, 426, and around anouter periphery bridge 428 before reaching an audio opening ofmicrophone 424, which can in itself be covered with a separate mesh ormembrane as shown by the dotted line.

The inventors have found that in an ideal situation for noise canceling,the acoustic path between microphone 424 and ear drum 412 should be asshort as possible to reflect any leakage that might occur either betweenthe ear tip and ear canal or when there is an intentionally added leakpath, such as pressure leak path 436. Embodiments disclosed hereinprovide an improved noise cancelling capabilities by shortening theacoustic path 440 without changing the structure of housing 420 or eartip 430. FIG. 5 is a simplified cross-sectional illustration of anin-ear earphone 500 in accordance with some embodiments. Earphone 500can include many of the same features as earphone 400 including, amongothers, housing 420, audio driver 422, microphone 424, nozzle mesh 426,ear tip 430 and ear tip mesh 432. Thus, for ease of explanation, thesame reference numbers are used in FIG. 5 as used in FIG. 4 to indicatelike elements. Also, similar to earphone 400 in FIG. 4 , earphone 500 isdepicted in FIG. 5 as being worn by a user with ear tip 430 insertedinto an ear canal 410 of the user’s ear and spaced apart from the user’sear drum 412.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the acoustic path 540 between microphone 424 and auser’s earbud 412 is more direct and shorter in earphone 500 than thesimilar acoustic path 440 in earphone 400. One difference between thetwo earphones is that bridge 528, which couples microphone 424 tohousing 420 in earphone 500, includes a passageway 542 that extendsbetween opposing upper surfaces of the bridge. Thus, acoustic pathway540 extends directly through bridge 528 to get to microphone 422 ratherthan being diverted around an outer periphery of bridge 428 to get tothe microphone as required in earphone 400. Allowing the acousticpathway 540 to traverse bridge 528 through passageway 542 enablesmicrophone 424 to be joined directly to a lower surface of bridge 528thereby eliminating the gap X present between microphone 424 and bridge428 in earphone 400 and moving the microphone closer to ear drum 412further shortening the acoustic pathway 540.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are simplified top plan and cross-sectional views of aportion of earphone 500 that includes nozzle 425. The nozzle 425 definesan audio port 600 that opens to the interior cavity of earphone housing420. Mesh 426, which his not included in FIG. 6A to better illustrateother elements, extends across audio port 600 preventing debris andearwax from entering the interior of housing 420. Bridge 528 ispositioned directly beneath the mesh 426 and can be mechanicallyattached to the wall of nozzle 425. Microphone 424 can be coupled to thebottom surface of bridge 528 such that an opening 610 to the microphoneis aligned with passageway 542 through the bridge 528. A hydrophobicmesh 620 can be positioned between the microphone 424 and the bridge 528and extend over the microphone opening 610 to prevent moisture and otherparticles that get past mesh 426 from entering the microphone. One ormore adhesive layers (not shown), such as a PSA layer, can be disposedbetween the hydrophobic mesh and each of the bridge 528 and microphone424 to secure the components together. In some embodiments, an airtightseal can be formed between microphone 424 and the bottom surface ofbridge 528 to ensure that sounds that reach microphone 424 do so throughpassageway 540.

While passageway 542 in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 6B provides adirect line-of-sight path through the bridge 528 to the microphone 424,in other embodiments passageway 542 can have one or more bends along thelength of the passageway creating a tortuous path from an upper surfaceof bridge 528 to microphone opening 610. Such a tortuous path canprovide further protection to the microphone 424 against particles orother foreign objects from penetrating into the microphone and/or theacoustic membrane 620. In some embodiments, microphone 424 is joined tothe bottom surface of bridge 528 with an airtight seal to ensure thatsounds that reach microphone 424 do so through passageway 540.

3. Rear Vent and Mesh

Earphones according to various embodiments can include one or moreopenings that extend through an outer wall of the earphone housing.Different openings can serve different purposes. For example, a primaryaudio port can allow the speaker to transmit sound towards a user’s ear,other openings can enable microphones to transmit and receive audiowaves through the housing and still other openings can enable improvedaudio performance of the earphone. Some or all of such audio openingscan be covered by a protective mesh as discussed with respect to FIGS.3A-3C.

As a specific example of a protective mesh, a rear vent can be formedthrough speaker housing 312 and covered with a mesh 352 as shown in FIG.3A. The rear vent can be acoustically coupled to a back volume of thespeaker housing 312 to provide improved acoustic performance of theearphone. The protective mesh 352 can extend over the rear vent toprevent ear wax or particles from entering the housing through the rearvent. The protective mesh can be formed as a multi-layered structureincluding a cosmetic mesh and an acoustic mesh where the cosmetic meshforms an outer surface of earbud 300 and is formed of an interlacednetwork of stiff wire, while the acoustic mesh is positioned withinacoustic port 314 beneath the cosmetic mesh and is formed of a porousfabric. As a specific non-limiting example, the cosmetic mesh can beformed of interlaced stainless steel and the acoustic mesh can be formedof polyester.

Because earphones are worn directly in a user’s ear, earphones aresusceptible to a build-up or collection of wax that can collect on anyor all of the meshes. Such wax can be particularly problematic on themeshes that come in physical contact with a portion of the ear, such asthe mesh 352 formed over the rear vent. Wax build-up on mesh 352 canocclude the rear vent opening which can adversely impact the soundquality of an earphone. Earphones in accordance with some embodimentsinclude an improved multi-layer mesh structure that reduces the impactof any potential wax build-up.

FIG. 7 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a portion of an earphone700 in accordance with some embodiments. Earphone 700 includes a rearvent 710 formed through a wall of a housing 720. A multi-layerprotective mesh 730, which can be representative of mesh 352, coversrear vent 710. Mesh 730 can include an outer cosmetic mesh 732 disposedover a separate acoustic mesh 734. Importantly, acoustic mesh 734 isspaced apart from cosmetic mesh 732 in a central portion of rear vent710. During use of earphone 700, ear wax can collect around the outerperiphery of cosmetic mesh 732. As wax builds-up on the mesh, the waxcan spread inward and eventually completely occlude rear vent 710. Thespacing between acoustic mesh 734 and cosmetic mesh 732 allows more waxto collect on the cosmetic mesh before any such collected wax wouldcompletely occlude rear vent 710. Thus, the spacing increases the timeto a possible occlusion event, which in turn reduces the frequency inwhich the multi-layer mesh 730 needs to be cleaned. As shown in FIG. 7 ,cosmetic mesh 732 can have a convex shape such that a center portion ofthe mesh protrudes further towards an exterior surface of earphone 700than the peripheral portions of mesh 732.

In other embodiments, the cosmetic mesh can have a concave shape asshown in FIG. 8 , which is a simplified cross-sectional view of aportion of an earphone 800 in accordance with some embodiments. As shownin FIG. 8 , earphone 800 includes a rear vent 810 formed through a wallof a housing 820. A multi-layer protective mesh 830, which can also berepresentative of mesh 352, covers rear vent 810. Similar to mesh 730,mesh 830 can include an outer cosmetic mesh 832 disposed over anacoustic mesh 834 that is spaced apart from the cosmetic mesh 832 in acentral portion of rear vent 810. The spacing between the two meshlayers allows more wax to collect on cosmetic mesh 832 before any suchcollected wax would completely occlude rear vent 810. Unlike cosmeticmesh 732, cosmetic mesh 832 has a concave shape to it such that thecentral portion of mesh 832 is spaced further from an exterior surfaceof earphone 800 than the peripheral portions of mesh 832. The concaveshape creates a deeper, sub-flush mesh where the extra depth can furtherincrease time to a possible occlusion event, which in turn can furtherreduce the frequency in which the multi-layer mesh 830 needs to becleaned. The central portion of mesh 550 can still be recessed from theexterior surface of speaker housing 310 by a distance X, which in someembodiments can be between 0.1 and 1.5 mm.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are simplified cross-sectional and exploded perspectiveviews, respectively, of a multi-layer mesh 930 that can berepresentative of multi-layer mesh 830. In FIG. 9A, multi-layer mesh 930is shown within a rear-vent 910 formed through a housing 920 of anearphone 900. Multi-layer mesh 930 includes an outer cosmetic mesh 932and an inner acoustic mesh 934. A stiffener 938 provides support for theacoustic mesh, which can be bonded to stiffener 9386 by an adhesivelayer 936, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) layer. Anacoustic frame 922 sits within housing 920 and can provide an indirect,sealed path 940 between rear vent 910 and the back volume (not shown) ofthe audio driver. The indirect path 940 can take the form of anelongated tubular acoustic passageway that can improve passiveattenuation of earphone 900. The sealed tubular passageway can take atortuous path between rear vent 910 and the back volume with bends inthe path having curved edges to improve acoustic airflow and reduce“choking”. In some embodiments, the tube dimensions can maintain a ratioof 0.8 height x 2.0 width x 3.5 functional length, and in someparticular implementations, the tube dimensions can have a minimumheight of about 0.8 mm.

4. User-Interaction: Pressure and Touch Sensing

Earphones according to some embodiments can include a user-input devicepositioned along an exterior surface of the earphone housing. In someembodiments, the user-input device can be a touch sensitive and pressuresensitive surface along a stem portion of the earphone housing, such asplanar region 330 positioned along stem 312 of the earphones 300depicted in FIGS. 3A-3C. FIG. 10A is a simplified rear perspective viewof an earphone 1000 according to some embodiments. Earphone 1000 can berepresentative of earphone 300 and includes a housing 1010 having aspeaker housing portion 1012 and a stem portion 1014.

As shown in FIG. 10A, stem 1014 has a substantially cylindrical inconstruction but the stem can have any appropriate shape in otherembodiments. Stem 1014 defines an interior cavity (region 1045 shown inFIGS. 10B and 10C) extending along a length of the stem in whichcomponents of earbud 1000 are positioned. A planar region 1030 that doesnot follow the curvature of the cylindrical construction is disposedalong a lower portion of stem 1014 between a distal end 1016 of the stemand a mesh 1054. The mesh 1054 overlies an audio port (not shown in FIG.10 ) and a microphone (also not shown) disposed within housing 1010 at alocation adjacent to the microphone port such that the microphone canreceive sound waves through mesh 1054 and through the microphone port.Planar region 1030 can provide a tactile surface that indicates to auser an area where the earphone 1000 is capable of receiving user input.For instance, a user input can be inputted by squeezing stem 1014 atplanar region 1030 or by sliding a finger along a portion of planarregion 1030. A person of skill in the art will appreciate that planarregion 1030 can be replaced by or enhanced by one or more other featuresthat provide additional and/or improved tactile feedback including, asexamples, bumps, grooves, recesses, etc.

FIGS. 10B and 10C are simplified cross-sectional views of portions ofstem 1030 along the different sections of the stem as indicated in FIG.10A. As shown in the FIGS. 10B and 10C, planar region 1030 is present inFIG. 10B but not in FIG. 10C. FIG. 10B also shows a flex circuit board1040 disposed adjacent to the planar surface 1030. Circuit board 1040can include both force and touch sensors as described in more detail inconjunction with FIGS. 11A-11C below. Circuitry, such as an antenna 1080that can extend along a majority of a length of the stem and system in apackage (SIP) 1082, can also be disposed within interior region 1045 ofstem 1014. SIP 1082 can include an ASIC that drives and monitors theforce and touch sensors. In some embodiments, SIP 1082 or other separatecircuitry disposed within region 1045 can further include: a mainprocessor that controls the operation of earbud 1000; one or morecomputer-readable memories; charging circuitry; additional sensors, suchan accelerometer, a gyroscope; a wireless communication controller;support components for antenna 1080; and uplink and downlinkcommunication circuitry; among others. Including the SIP and itsassociated circuitry in stem portion 1014 of earbud 1000 enables thespeaker housing portion 1012 to be smaller than it otherwise would be(while including an appropriate sized battery).

Reference is now made to FIGS. 11A-11C that depict various views of anearphone 1100 according to some embodiments. Earphone 1100 can berepresentative of any of the earphones discussed above includingearphone 300 and earphone 1000. FIGS. 11A and 11B are each simplifiedcross-sectional views at different depths along a length of a stem 1114,and FIG. 11C is a simplified cross-sectional illustration along the stemdepicting a relationship between touch pixels and sense pixels withinthe stem. As shown in FIG. 11A, a planar region 1130 is disposed alongstem 1114 and multiple touch pixels can be disposed directly under thesurface of the planar region 1130. In the embodiment depicted in FIG.11A, three separate and distinct capacitive touch pixels 1150, 1152 and1154 are included in the touch region but embodiments are not limited toany particular number of touch pixels and other embodiments can includefewer than or more than three touch pixels. In some embodiments, thetouch pixels can be built into copper layers formed in a flex circuit1170 discussed below with respect to FIG. 11C.

As shown in FIG. 11B, which represents a cross-sectional view of planarregion 1130 below the cross-sectional view depicted in FIG. 11A, asingle capacitive force pixel 1160 is also disposed along stem 1114directly under the surface of the planar region 1130 and directly underthe touch pixels. While the embodiment depicted in FIG. 11B includesjust a single force pixel in the touch region, other embodiments are notlimited to any particular number of force pixels and other embodimentscan include more than one force pixels.

A user can provide input to earphone 1100 through either or both thetouch pixels and the force pixel. For example, in some embodiments auser can slide his or her finger along stem 1114, which can be detectedby the touch pixels, to change the volume of an audio stream played overearphone 1100. As another example, a user can squeeze stem 1114 at theplanar region 1130, which can be detected by the force pixel, toinitiate a voice-activated, virtual assistant, such as Siri that isbuilt into various Apple products, and/or answer a cellular telephone orother call over earphone 1100.

The capacitive touch pixels and force pixel can be formed in or bondedto a common flex circuit 1170, which in turn, can be laminated to aninner surface of stem wall 1116. In some embodiments, the touch pixels1152, 1154, 1156 can be formed directly on an upper surface of a flexcircuit 1170 as shown in FIG. 11C with their sensing surface facingoutward toward wall 1116, while the force pixel 1160 can be disposed ona lower surface of flex circuit 1170 in an opposite orientation facinginward. The force pixel can be arranged such that a foam layer 1184fills the force sensor gap between the first and second capacitive pads1186 and 1188 of the force pixel. Foam layer 1184 can be a highdielectric material and can mechanically secure the force sensor toantenna 1180. When a user squeezes stem 1114 in the planar region 1130,the flex 1170 is pushed toward electrode 1188 and the gap between thetwo electrodes 1186, 1188 is reduced creating a change in capacitancethat can be detected generating a user-input signal that can be actedupon by electronics within earbud 1100 to carry out a predeterminedfunction as noted above.

In some embodiments, first capacitor pad 1186 is formed as part of acopper layer or layers or as a conductive coating contained within orlaminated to a bottom surface of flex circuit 1170 and the secondcapacitor pad 1188 of is built into the antenna ground. In otherembodiments, first capacitor pad can be a conductive element bonded toflex circuit 1170 and/or both capacitor pads 1186 and 1188 can have avoltage on them in a mutual capacitance arrangement.

In some embodiments, flex circuit 1170 is laminated to the inner surfaceof wall 1116 using a low temperature curable adhesive (e.g., adhesive1172). The accuracy of the capacitive touch pixels 1150, 1152 and 1154can be dependent on the lamination process. The adhesive should be ableto withstand internal stresses from spring back forces associated withsqueezing the stem region to activate the force sensor. The inventorshave found that a standard pressure sensitive adhesive can be inadequatein such circumstances as air bubbles can start to form over repeated usethat can then interfere with the accuracy of the capacitive touchpixels. Instead, in some embodiments the adhesive is cross-linkingadhesive formulated as b-stage system in which a first low temperaturecure step partially cures the adhesive material and is followed by a UVcure step to fully cure the adhesive and bond the laminate to the wall.Additionally, to ensure a strong bond between wall 1116 and flex circuit1170, in some embodiments the flex circuit 1170 is a separate flexdedicated to the touch and force pixels. In this manner, flex 1170 canbe inserted into stem 1114 and fully bonded to the inner surface of wall1116 (e.g,. by adhesive layers 1172 and 1174) prior to mechanicallyattaching other components to the stem.

Since both the touch pixels 1150-1156 and the force pixel 1160 arecapacitive, shared sensor control circuitry, such as a single ASIC (notshown), within SIP 1182 can be used to control the operation of both thetouch sensor and the force sensor. That is, the single ASIC can beoperatively coupled to the both the touch and force sensor to excite thesensors at one or more frequencies and to detect signals from both setsof sensors. For example, the single ASIC can capture signals from boththe touch pixels and the force pixel in the same time frame. Usingshared sensor control circuitry, such as a single ASIC, to control boththe touch and force sensors can save a considerable amount of batterypower enabling earphones 1100 to be used longer between charges.

To further facilitate reducing battery power, earphones according tosome embodiments can employ different modes of operation depending onwhether the earphones are being worn in a user’s ear, are inside theircharging case or are out of the case but are off the user’s ear and thusnot being worn. Towards this end, embodiments of earphones disclosedherein can include one or more sensors (e.g., photodiodes, magnets, halleffect sensors, an accelerometer, and the like) that can detect whetheran earphone is within a charging case or within a user’s ear.

FIG. 12 is a state diagram 1200 depicting the different power modesaccording to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 12 , there are threeprimary states: In-case (state 1210), Off-ear (state 1220), and In-ear(state 1230). In-case states 1210 has two sub-states: low power sleep(sub-state 1212) and deep sleep (sub-state 1214), and in-ear state 1230also includes two sub-states: active (sub-state 1232) and inactive(sub-state 1234).

To explain the power savings associated with the different states andsub-states, assume that a pair of earphones, such as any of earphonesdescribed herein including, but not limited to, earphones 300, 10001100, have been stored in a charging case with the battery for eachearphone fully charged overnight. In the morning, the earphones, stillin the charging case, will be in a deep-sleep sub-state 1214 in whichboth the touch and the force pixels are turned fully OFF. When the useropens the lid to the charging case, the earphones switch from deep sleepsub-state 1214 to a normal sleep sub-state 1212 in which the touchpixels are maintained OFF but the force pixel is turn ON and sampled ata low, baseline rate to save power. In various embodiments the baselinerate can be less than 10 Hz, less than 5 Hz, less than 2 Hz or less than1 Hz. In one particular implementation, the baseline rate can be 0.5 Hz.

When sensors within the earphone detect that it is first removed fromits charging case, the earphone enters off-ear mode 1220 in which boththe touch and the force sensors are sampled at the low, baseline rate.If the sensors detect that the earphone is then inserted into the ear ofa user, the earphone can initially switch to an inactive sub-state 1234in which the touch and force sensors are sampled is substantiallyincreased to a standard mode rate. In inactive sub-state 1234, the touchpixels are tied together into a single electrode to determine if afinger is present anywhere within the touch region and a baseline updateis performed in the background at the baseline rate as described belowin conjunction with FIG. 13 . In various embodiments, the standard ratecan be at least five times the baseline rate, at least ten times thebaseline rate, at least fifty times the baseline rate or at least 100times the baseline rate. In one particular implementation where thebaseline rate is 0.5 Hz, the standard rate can be 60 Hz.

While in a user’s ear, the earphone will remain in the inactivesub-state unless the touch pixels detect the presence of a finger, whichcan be done, for example, when the capacitance on the touch pixels isgreater than a predetermined inactive threshold value. Once a finger isdetected, the earphones switch to active sub-state 1232 in which thecapacitance on the touch pixels can be independently measured on eachtouch pixel and the touch pixels and force pixel are sampled at thestandard rate. The earphone can remain in active sub-state 1232 untileither: (1) the capacitance on each touch pixel drops below apredetermined active threshold value and no touch was detected on any ofthe touch pixels for at least predetermined time period, which in someembodiments can be 500 msec, or (2) the earphone are removed from theuser’s ear in which case they are switched into off-ear state 1220.

Further details of the manner and rate at which the touch and/or forcepixels are sampled in inactive sub-state 1234, in active sub-state 1232and in the baseline update according to some embodiments are set forthin FIG. 13 , which is a simplified timing chart depicting sequences ofsteps associated with each of the inactive and active sub-states and thebaseline update process. As shown in FIG. 13 , inactive sub-state 1234includes two separate steps where the force pixel is sampled (step 1302)and then the touch pixels (step 1304). As noted above, instead ofsampling each touch pixel individually, in order to save power, all thetouch pixels can be electrically tied together by circuity within flex1170 and sampled together in step 1304. If sufficient capacitance isdetected on the combined touch pixel (e.g., capacitance greater than orequal to a first predetermined threshold) to indicate that a finger ispositioned along the touch sensors, the earphone can be switched intoactive sub-state 1232. If capacitance above the first predeterminedthreshold is not detected and the earphones are still within the ear ofthe user, the earphones will remain in the inactive sub-state and repeatsampling the force and combined touch pixels (steps 1302 and 1304) atthe baseline frequency, which if 0.5 Hertz means the steps 1302 and 1304are repeated every two seconds.

When earphones switch from inactive sub-state 1234 to active sub-state1232, the frequency at which the force and touch pixels are sampledsubstantially increases as noted above. For example, if the inactivesub-state samples the force and touch pixels at a rate of 0.5 Hz (onceevery two seconds) and the active rate samples the force and touchpixels at a rate of 60 Hz (60 times per second), the sampling frequencyincreases 120 times between the two states. In addition to increasingthe sampling frequency, each touch pixel is looked at individually sothe earphone can determine the location of a user’s touch within theuser input region (e.g., planar region 330). The higher sampling rate inthe active sub-state allows the earphone to determine the direction afinger is moved across the user input region when a swipe motion isperformed.

In addition to sampling the force and touch pixels, active sub-state1232 includes a noise detection routine. When sampling the force andtouch pixels, the earphone applies a voltage signal at an appropriatefrequency that can be, for example, in the kilohertz range to one of thecapacitor plates of each sensor. In some instances, an external sourcecan create interference on the capacitor that could be wronglyinterpreted by the earphone as a detection event. Thus, earphonesaccording to some embodiments look for noise on the sensors and canimplement a noise hopping scheme in which the voltage signal applied tothe sensor capacitor plates is switched from a first frequency to asecond frequency if noise above a predetermined threshold is detected onthe first frequency.

As an example, when a user holds a smart phone up near his or her ear,circuitry within the smart phone can be in relative close proximity toan earphone in the user’s ear and create noise within the earphone thatmight otherwise look like a detection event. To eliminate thepossibility of noise incorrectly triggering a detection event, earphonesaccording to some embodiments can choose between two differentfrequencies to excite (drive) the capacitors of the touch sensors andactive sub-state 1232 can include two separate noise checks: a firstnoise check (step 1310) at frequency 1 and a second check (step 1314) atfrequency 2. If noise is found on frequency 1 and not frequency 2, thetouch pixels are driven (steps 1316-1322) at frequency 2. If noise isfound on frequency 2 and not frequency 1, the touch pixels are driven(steps 1316-1322) at frequency 1. In the unlikely event that noise isfound on both frequency 1 and frequency 2, the touch pixels can betemporarily blocked from controlling features of the earphone until thenoise disappears from at least one of the two frequencies. In someparticular implementations, frequency 1 is 200 KHz and frequency 2 is510 KHz. As shown in FIG. 13 , in some embodiments the noise check steps1310 and 1314 are sandwiched around sampling the force pixel (step1312). The sequence of the steps shown in FIG. 13 for the inactivesub-state, active sub-state and the baseline update can be varied,however, and embodiments are not limited to any particular order of suchsteps.

FIG. 13 also illustrates the various steps associated with a baselineupdate process in which noise thresholds can be established for thesampling frequencies at which the touch sensors are driven. In someembodiments, an initial baseline update is performed when the earphonesare still in their charging case upon detecting that the lid of the caseis opened. The baseline process will check for noise on frequency 1(step 1330) and scan the touch sensors at frequency 1 (steps 1332-1338)and then do the same for frequency 2 (noise check at step 1342 and touchsensor scans at steps 1444-1450). The amount of noise that is present oneach frequency can then be taken into account when setting a thresholdlevels for registering a detection event on each frequency.Additionally, in some embodiments the baseline update can also includechecking the force pixel (step 1340), which in FIG. 13 is shown as beingperformed between the two frequency scans as an example timing sequence.The baseline update can then be repeated during active sub-state 1332 atthe slower, baseline rate in order to maintain a baseline for noise atthe frequency that is not being used to drive the touch pixels at thattime.

5. Double-Flange Ear Tip

Ear tips that are in common use today are typically a monolithicstructure made from a deformable material (e.g,. silicone or athermoplastic elastomer). As an example, FIG. 14 is a simplifiedcross-sectional view of a typical deformable ear tip 1400. Ear tip 1400includes an inner ear tip body 1410 and an outer ear tip body (sometimesreferred to as a flange) 1420 that together form a monolithic structure.Inner ear tip body 1410 is centered along a central axis 1415 anddefines a sound channel that extends through the entire length of eartip 1400. The sound channel is an empty space through which soundtravels from an audio driver within the earphone to which ear tip 1400is attached to a user’s eardrum. Outer ear tip body 1420 is attached toinner ear tip body 1410 at one end of the ear tip 1400 (an earinterfacing end) and extends outwardly towards the second, opposite endof ear tip 1400 creating a gap or vacant space 1425 between the outerand inner ear tip bodies along at least a portion of a length of ear tip1400.

When ear tip 1400 is inserted into an ear canal, outer ear tip body 1420can bend into vacant space 1425 and conform to the contours of the earcanal to form an acoustic seal to prevent sound from entering the earcanal as ambient noise. Some surfaces of the ear canal can cause theouter ear tip body to unevenly press against the ear canal, which cancreate pressure points and cause discomfort. Additionally, only someportions of the outer ear tip body might make contact with the earcanal, thereby forming a weak seal that can allow noise from theenvironment to interfere with sound delivered by the earphone.

In some embodiments, the earphones described herein can include a secondflange structure between the outer ear tip body and the inner ear tipbody to provide improved user comfort and improved acoustic performance.The second flange structure can resist uneven deformation of the outerear tip body so that pressure is spread evenly across the inner surfaceof the ear canal, thereby mitigating the creation of pressure points toimprove comfort and acoustic seal. FIG. 15 is a simplifiedcross-sectional view of a double flange ear tip 1500 according to someembodiments. Ear tip 1500 can include an inner ear tip body 1510 and anouter ear tip body 1520 that is sometimes referred to herein as outerflange 1520. Inner ear tip body 1510 is centered along a central axis1515 and defines a sound channel that extends through the length of eartip 1500.

Ear tip 1500 can include a tip region 1502 and a base region 1504. Tipregion 1502 can be a part of ear tip 1500 that inserts into the earcanal of a user while base region 1504 can be a part of ear tip 1500that extends toward and attaches to a housing (e.g., a nozzle or similarouter structure) of an earphone. In some embodiments, the attachmentregion includes an attachment structure 1540 for securely attaching eartip 1500 to a corresponding earphone. As mentioned herein, the inner andouter ear tip bodies can be formed from a compliant material thatenables the ear tip to be inserted within and form a seal with the earcanal. Compliant materials may not easily attach to stiff structuressuch as a housing of an earphone. Thus, attachment structure 1540 can beincluded in some embodiments to provide rigidity to the base region 1504of ear tip 1500 enabling the ear tip to be securely to an earphonehousing.

Outer ear tip body 1520 can be a part of tip region 1502. The outer eartip body 1520 is attached to inner ear tip body 1510 at anear-interfacing end 1506 of the ear tip 1500 and extends outwardlytowards an earphone attachment end 1508 creating a gap 1525 between theouter and inner ear tip bodies along at least a portion of a length ofear tip 1500. Ear tip 1500 further includes an inner flange structure1530 that is connected at a first end 1532 to inner ear tip body 1510 ata point between ear interfacing end 1506 and attachment end 1508. Innerflange structure 1530 extends into gap 1525 between inner ear tip body1510 and outer ear tip body 1520 and can include a second end 1534 thatcontacts a distal portion 1526 of outer ear tip body 1520. When ear tip1500 is inserted into the ear canal, outer ear tip body 1520 cancompress inward against inner flange structure 1530. In someembodiments, second end 1534 is not fixedly attached to ear tip body1520 and the lower portion 1528 of ear tip body 1520 can slide along thesecond end providing a force against the outer ear tip body 1520 thatresists uneven deformation of outer ear tip body 1520. In this manner,inner flange 1530 can enable an improved acoustic seal of the ear tip1500 within the user’s ear and a passive attenuation gain for improvedacoustic performance.

In some embodiments, inner flange structure 1530 is a single continuousstructure that fully surrounds an outer periphery of inner ear tip body1510. In other embodiments, inner flange structure 1530 can insteadinclude multiple portions spaced apart from each other and formedradially around the outer periphery of inner ear tip body 1510.Additionally, in some embodiments, such as the embodiment depicted inFIG. 15 , a radius of curvature of inner flange 1530 as it extends awayfrom inner ear tip body 1510 is greater than a radius of curvature ofouter ear tip body 1520 extending away from inner ear tip body 1510. Theincreased curvature of the inner flange 1530 minimizes potentialsticking between the inner flange and outer ear tip body and alsominimizes the possibility of inner flange 1530 becoming inverted.

FIG. 16 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a double flange ear tip1600 according to some embodiments. Ear tip 1600 includes many of thesame features as ear tip 1500 but outer ear tip body 1620 can be madefrom a material that has a different durometer than inner flange 1630.For example, ear tip 1600 can be formed with a double shot injectionmolding process in which a first injection molding step of the processforms both a portion 1610a of the inner ear tip body and all of innerflange 1630, and a second injection molding step of the process formsboth a portion 1610b of the inner ear tip body and all of outer ear tipbody 1620. Inner ear tip body portion 1610a flange and inner flange 1630can be made from a higher durometer material to provide more structureto the ear tip, while inner ear tip body portion 1610b and outer ear tipbody portion 1620 can be made from a lower durometer material that ismore flexible to provide a better and more comfortable user fit.

As can be appreciated herein, the outer ear tip body of ear tipsaccording to some embodiments can press against an inner surface of anear canal to form an acoustic seal. This acoustic seal can enhance thequality of sound experience by the user, but it can also sometimes trappressure in the ear canal, potentially causing an unpleasant sensationto the user. Thus, in some embodiments, ear tips can include one or morecontrol leaks 1650 for preventing the trapping of pressure in the earcanal while still enabling the outer ear tip body to form an acousticseal. Control leak 1650 creates a pathway from the sound channel createdwithin the inner ear tip body to the ambient environment that can reducepressure build-up within the ear canal. In some embodiments, one or morecontrol leaks 1650 can be formed in a rigid attachment structure 1640 asshown in FIG. 16 , but in other embodiments one or more control leakscan be formed through the inner ear tip body.

Charging Case

Some embodiments described herein pertain to a charging case that canstore and charge a portable electronic device, such as a wirelesslistening device or a pair of portable wireless listening devices, suchas a pair of earphones 300. The charging case can protect the portableelectronic device or wireless listening devices from physical damage aswell as provide a source of power for charging the electronic device orpair of wireless listening devices.

FIGS. 17A-17C are simplified plan views of a charging case 1700 that canstore a pair of earbuds, such as earbuds 300, according to someembodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in each of FIGS.17A-17C, case 1700 can include a lid 1702 and a body 1704 that forms aninternal cavity for housing a pair of wireless listening devices 300 a,300 b that can be worn in a user’s left and right ears, respectively.FIGS. 17A and 17B are front plan views of charging case 1700 and FIG.17C is a rear plan view of the charging case. Charging case 1700 isdepicted in FIG. 17A with lid 1702 in an open position while FIGS. 17Band 17C depict the charging case with the lid in a closed position. Lid1702 can be attached to body 1704 by a hinge 1710 (shown in FIG. 17C)that enables the lid to be moved between an open position (in which theearbuds 300 a, 300 b can be inserted into or removed from case 1700) anda closed position (in which the lid 1702 covers the earbuds 300 a, 300 bthereby completely enclosing the earbuds within the charging case 1700).

In some embodiments, charging case 1700 can include an internal frame(not visible in any of FIGS. 17A-17C) including portions designed toprovide contours and surface features against which wireless listeningdevices 300 a, 300 b can rest in strategic positions discussed herein tominimize the size of case 1700.

To minimize the overall size of charging case 1700, earbuds 300 a, 300 bcan be positioned at strategic angles when placed in case 1700. In someembodiments, each stem of the earbuds 300 a, 300 b is positioned at anangle with respect to two axis: an x-axis and a y-axis, instead of beingpositioned substantially vertically within the charging case. Forpurposes of description, the x-axis runs between earbuds 300 a, 300 b,the y-axis runs between the front and the back of charging case 1700,and the z-axis runs between the bottom of body 1704 and the top of lid1702.

Case 1700 can be configured to charge wireless listening devices 300 a,300 b when they are housed in case 1700. Towards this end, in someembodiments case 1700 can include two pairs of electrical contacts (notvisible in FIGS. 17A-17C) for making electrical contact with respectivecontacts on the stems of each earbud so that charge can flow from aninternal battery (not shown) of case 1700 to internal batteries of theearbuds 300 a, 300 b. The charging case internal battery can be chargedby an external power supply that is electrically coupled to case 1700via a connector 1706. Connector 1706 can be any appropriate physicalconnector interface, such as a lightning connector port developed byApple, a USB-C port, a mini USB port or the like. In some embodimentscharging case 1700 also includes a wireless power receiving coil (notshown) to wirelessly receive power that can be used to charge theinternal battery as discussed in more detail below.

In some embodiments charging case 1700 is highly resistant to moistureingression and can be designed to meet IPX4 water resistance standards.Towards this end, electrical components within case 1700 (e.g., thecharging case battery, the circuit board on which the processor andother electronic circuitry that controls the operation of the chargingcase, etc.) can be sealed within an internal system volume that issealed with external system seals. Additionally, each electricalcomponent can be sealed individually with a conformal coating oradhesive. Some embodiments can further include a barometric vent withinthe connector 1706 module that is permeable to air but not liquids. Thebarometric vent allows charging case 1700 to be tested, in themanufacturing line, immediately after manufacture of the case iscompleted to determine if the charging case is fully sealed inaccordance with the manufacturer expectations, for example, inaccordance with the IPX4 requirements.

Case 1700 can also include a visual indicator 1708 configured to emitdifferent colors of light. Visual indicator 1708 can change colorsdepending on the charge status of the case. As an example, indicator1708 can emit green light when the case is charged, emit orange lightwhen the charging case battery is charging and/or when the charging casebattery has less than a full charge, and red light when the chargingcase battery is depleted. When viewed from outside of case 1700, visualindicator 1708 can have a circular shape, or any other suitable shape,such as square-like, rectangular, oval, and the like. Case 1700 can alsoinclude a user-interface 1712, such as a button, that when activated andwhen the earbuds are stored within case 1700 with lid 1702 open,initiates a pairing routine that allows the earbuds to be paired with ahost device. While indicator 1708 and button 1712 are shown in FIGS. 17Band 17C on front and rear case surfaces 1715 and 1720, respectively,embodiments are not limited to any particular location for such userinterfaces and these and other user interfaces can be positioned at anysuitable exterior or interior surface of charging case 1700.

Charging case 1700 can be relatively small (e.g., less than 2 ½ incheslong, less than 2 inches high and less than 1 inch deep), which enablesa user to easily take the case wherever he or she goes. With chargingcase 1700 being so portable, it can also become misplaced. An earphonecharging case according to some embodiments can include an audio drivermodule and controller circuitry that enables a host device tocommunicate with location-based finding feature, such as Find My Devicedeveloped by Apple, Inc.

FIG. 18 is a simplified cross-sectional illustration of an earphonecharging case 1800 according to some embodiments. Charging case 1800,which and can be representative of charging case 1700, includes a lid1802 and a body 1804 that can be mechanically coupled to each other by ahinge (not shown). In some embodiments, each of lid 1802 and body 1804can be hollow shells formed from a single continuous wall. For example,lid 1802 can a peripheral wall 1806 that defines both exterior andinterior surfaces of the lid, while body 1804 can includes a peripheralwall 1808 that defines both exterior and interior surfaces of the body.A frame insert 1810 can fit within the peripheral wall 1808 and caninclude an insert wall 1812 that defines one or more cavities pocketsfor housing a pair of earphones, such as left and right earphones 300 aand 300 b or any of the earphones disclosed herein. As an example, incharging case 1800 frame insert 1810 can include a peripheral wall 1812that defines contoured cavities 1806 and 1808 sized and shaped to accepta lower portion of earphones 300 a, 300 b.

Frame insert 1810 can cooperate with peripheral wall 1808 to form awaterproof, sealed chamber 1815 within body 1804 in which variousinternal components of the charging case can be positioned. For example,charging case 1800 can also include circuitry 1820, an antenna 1822 anda speaker module 1830 within the sealed chamber 1815. Circuitry 1820 andantenna 1822 can be formed on a common support substrate, such as aprinted circuit board (PCB). Circuitry 1820 can include, among otherdevices, a wireless communication circuitry and a controller mounted onthe PCB. Antenna 1822 can be formed within a corner of charging case1800 and in some embodiments can be an ultra-wideband antenna. Thecircuitry 1820 and antenna can cooperate to wirelessly send out a securesignal (e.g., a Bluetooth signal) that can be detected by nearby devicesin the Find My network. The nearby devices can then send the location ofcharging case 1800 to an iCloud or similar server via a wireless network(e.g., a cellular or WiFi network). The server can then make chargingcase 1800 visible to approved devices that can display the location ofcharging case 1800 on a map. The approved devices can also communicatewith charging case 1800 via the various wireless networks to send asignal to circuitry 1820 that puts charging case 1800 in a lost modeand/or to play a sound through speaker module 1830 to help a user locatethe charging case.

In some embodiments, speaker module 1830 can generate a relatively loudbeeping sound noise to assist as part of the Find My Device routine (orsimilar location-based find technique) and charging case 1800 includes aB-vent module 1840 to help ensure that air pressure within the speakermodule 1830 is equalized to the air pressure external to charging case1800 in order for speaker module 1830 to function properly. Furtherdetails of speaker module 1830 and B-vent module 1840 are discussedbelow with respect to FIGS. 19A and 19B, respectively.

1. Speaker Module

FIG. 19A is a simplified cross-sectional illustration of a speakermodule 1900 according to some embodiments that can be included in any ofthe earphone disclosed herein and can be representative of speakermodule 1830. As shown in FIG. 19A, speaker module 1900 includes an audiodriver 1910 that has a speaker membrane 1912, which is the dividing linebetween a front volume 1920 of audio driver 1910 and a back volume 1930of the audio driver. Front volume 1920 is exposed to the outside airpressure through openings 1922 in a housing 1924 of the earphone inwhich speaker module 1900 is included. In some embodiments, openings1922 can be, for example, three small circular holes formed through thehousing 1924 but the openings are not limited to any particular shape ornumber. A cosmetic mesh 1925 and a water proof membrane 1926 can beattached (e.g., by a PSA layer 1928) across the openings 1922 to protectagainst debris and moisture ingress. As shown, cosmetic mesh 1925 canincludes one or more small protrusions that extend from within housing1924 into the openings 1922. In some embodiments the protrusions can beflush with an exterior surface of housing 1924 or slightly recessedwithin the openings 1922.

Front volume 1920 is sealed from back volume 1930 by various walls 1932of speaker module 1900 and by seals 1934, which can be, for example, ano-ring or a similar sealing structure. Back volume 1930 extends into thesealed chamber 1815 of body 1804 through a speaker vent 1940, which canbe covered with an acoustic membrane (not shown). Sealed chamber 1815can be sealed with an airtight and waterproof seal to prevent moistureingress into the body. Thus, back volume 1930 can be a completelyenclosed and sealed space except for an opening to the outsideenvironment through B-vent module 1940 as described below.

For speaker 1910 to provide a consistent volume and operation, the voicecoil 1914, which is operatively coupled to the speaker member, should becentered within a magnetic pole piece 1916 of audio driver 1910. Such isthe case when speaker membrane 1912 is in its nominal position 1942. Ifpressure inside of the charging case is greater than the outside worldpressure, however, speaker membrane 1912 can be undesirably pushedoutwards into region 1944 moving the voice coil 1914 outside its idealposition. Conversely, if pressure inside of the charging case is lessthan the outside world pressure, speaker membrane 1912 can beundesirably pulled inward into region 1946, which also moves the voicecoil 1914 outside its ideal position. In some embodiments, charging case1800 can include a B-vent module within the charging case that allowspressure to equalize between the front and back volumes 1920 and 1930,respectively.

2. B-Vent

FIG. 19B is a simplified cross-sectional illustration of a B-vent 1950according to some embodiments that can be included in any of theearphones disclosed herein and can be representative of B-vent module1840 shown in FIG. 18 . B-vent 1950 can include one or more openings1952 formed through the same housing 1924 in which openings 1922 areformed. In some embodiments, for cosmetic reasons, openings 1952, whichcan be on the right side of charging case 1800 can mirror openings 1922,which can be on the left side. Thus, as an example, if there are threesmall circular openings 1922, openings 1952 can also include three smallcircular openings having the same radius as openings 1922. For theB-vent to function properly, only a single opening is needed for thevent itself. Thus, while FIG. 18 shows three openings as part of theB-vent module 1840, only the center opening 1952 is depicted in FIG. 19Band the openings on the left and right of center opening 1952 can besealed.

The B-vent opening 1952 provides an air path from speaker back volume1930 through sealed chamber 1815 within body 1804 to the outsideenvironment. A multi-layer mesh 1960 can cover opening 1952 preventingmoisture and particles from entering the interior cavity of chargingcase 1800 while allowing air to cross the mesh. As shown in FIG. 19B,multi-layer mesh can include an outer cosmetic mesh 1962, which as anexample, can be a stainless steel mesh and an acoustic mesh 1964.Similar to cosmetic mesh 1925, cosmetic mesh 1962 can includes one ormore small protrusions that extend from within housing 1924 into theopenings 1952. In some embodiments the protrusions can be flush with anexterior surface of housing 1924 or slightly recessed within theopenings 1952.

The multi-layer mesh 1960 can also include a clad between multiplelayers including a non-woven thermoplastic layer and a hydrophobiclayer. In one particular embodiment, multi-layer mesh 1960 can include aclad between a non-woven polyethylene terephthalate (PET) mesh layer1966 and a hydrophobic, waterproof layer 1968 formed fromPolytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Mesh layers 1962, 1964 and the clad oflayers 1966, 1968 can be stacked on top of each other and bondedtogether by PSA layers 1970 and the multi-layer mesh 1960 can bemechanically attached to housing 1924 or other structural components ofearphone 1800 by a hot melt bond 1972 formed around the perimeter of themulti-layer mesh 1960.

FIG. 20 is a simplified perspective view of a charging case 2000 thatcan store a pair of earbuds, such as earbuds 300, according to someembodiments of the present disclosure. As shown charging case 2000includes a lid 2002 and a body 2004 that can be mechanically coupled toeach other by a hinge (not shown). The hinge allows lid 2002 to be movedbetween an open position (in which the earbuds 300 a, 300 b can beinserted into or removed from case 2000) and a closed position (in whichthe lid 2002 covers the earbuds 300 a, 300 b thereby completelyenclosing the earbuds within the charging case 2000). In someembodiments, each of lid 2002 and body 2004 can be hollow shells formedfrom a single continuous wall.

Charging case 2000 can be representative of charging cases 1700 and 1800and can include some or all of the same features as those chargingcases. Additionally, charging case 2000 can include an eyelet 2010 thatis mechanically attached body 2004. Eyelet 2010 can be made from metal,rigid plastic or another appropriate material and can include an outersurface that is generally flush with the outer surface of body 2004.Eyelet 2010 can also include first and second openings 2012, 2014 thatconnect to a common cavity (not labeled) behind a neck portion 2016 ofthe eyelet. The eyelet can serve as an attachment point for a lanyard(not shown) to be connected to charging case 2000 (e.g., by threading asmall wire or strap of the lanyard behind neck portion 2016 through theopenings 2012, 2014). The lanyard can then be wrapped around a user’swrist (or neck if the lanyard is sized sufficiently) so that a user canmore easily carry charging case 2000 without worrying about losing thecharging case.

Additional Embodiments

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specificnomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the describedembodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art thatthe specific details are not required in order to practice the describedembodiments. For example, while various examples of earphones describedabove were in the context of in-ear headphones that included deformableear tips that can be inserted into a user’s ear canal to form anairtight seal between the ear tip and the user’s ear, variousembodiments described herein are not limited to in-ear headphones. Thus,earphones according to some embodiments, can be configured to have anopen, unsealed acoustic architecture that is sometimes referred to as a“leaky acoustic architecture” where the housing (e.g., speaker housing310) can be sized and shaped to fit within a user’s ear without having adeformable ear tip inserted into the ear canal. In such embodiments, allacoustic air volumes within the earbud have a free flowing air path tothe ambient.

As another example, while embodiments of a multi-layer mesh that reducesthe likelihood of occlusion events was described with respect to a rearvent, embodiments are not limited to any particular vent and amulti-layer mesh according to embodiments disclosed herein can be usefulto protect the primary acoustic port, microphone openings and others. Asstill another example, while FIGS. 17A-19B discussed embodiments of ancharging case that can store and charge a pair of wireless earphones,other embodiments can pertain to a charging case for wired earphones orother portable electronic devices.

Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the specific embodiments describedherein are presented for purposes of illustration and description. Theyare not target to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to theprecise forms disclosed. Also, while different embodiments of theinvention were disclosed above, the specific details of particularembodiments may be combined in any suitable manner without departingfrom the spirit and scope of embodiments of the invention. Further, itwill be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that manymodifications and variations are possible in view of the aboveteachings.

Finally, it is well understood that the use of personally identifiableinformation should follow privacy policies and practices that aregenerally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmentalrequirements for maintaining the privacy of users. In particular,personally identifiable information data should be managed and handledso as to minimize risks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use,and the nature of authorized use should be clearly indicated to users.

What is claimed is:
 1. An earphone comprising: a device housingincluding a speaker housing and a stem extending away from the speakerhousing portion, wherein the speaker housing and stem combine to definean interior cavity within the device housing; an acoustic port formedthrough a wall of the speaker housing; an audio driver disposed withinthe speaker housing and aligned to emit sound through the acoustic port;a user input region disposed along an exterior surface of the stem; aflex circuit disposed within the interior cavity, the flex circuitincluding a first portion bonded at a first location to an inner surfaceof the stem directly beneath the user-input region, a second portionbonded at a second location to an inner surface of the stem spaced apartfrom the first location, and a third portion extending between the firstand second portions; a force pixel disposed within the interior cavityand mounted to the first portion of the flex circuit below the userinput region; a plurality of touch pixels disposed within the interiorcavity between the force pixel and the user input region; sensor controlcircuitry disposed within the interior cavity and mounted to the secondportion of the flex circuit; and an antenna disposed within the interiorcavity along a length of the stem.
 2. The earphone set forth in claim 1wherein the touch pixels are formed within the first portion of the flexcircuit.
 3. The earphone set forth in claim 2 wherein the force pixelcomprises a first capacitive plate mounted to the flex circuit and asecond capacitive plate mounted to the antenna in a spaced apartrelationship with the first capacitor plate.
 4. The earphone set forthin claim 3 wherein the force pixel further comprises a foam layercoupled between the first and second capacitor plates.
 5. The earphoneset forth in claim 1 wherein the plurality of touch pixels are spacedapart from each other along a length of the stem within the user inputregion.
 6. The earphone set forth in claim 1 wherein the flex circuit islaminated to the inner surface of the housing at the first and secondlocations using a b-stage system in which a first low temperature curestep partially cures the adhesive material and is followed by a UV curestep to fully cure the adhesive and bond the laminate to the wall. 7.The earphone set forth in claim 1 wherein the sensor control circuitryis operatively coupled to excite and capture signals from both the touchpixels and the force pixel.
 8. The earphone set forth in claim 7 whereinthe sensor control circuitry comprises a comprises an applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC) that is operatively coupled to excitethe touch pixels and the force pixel at a common frequency.
 9. Theearphone set forth in claim 1 wherein the sensor control circuitry isresponsive to at least first, second and third operating modes thatdiffer from each other in an amount of power consumed by the sensorcontrol circuitry and force and touch sensors, wherein the firstoperating mode is activated upon receiving one or more signalsindicating that the earphones are not within a charging case and notwithin an ear of a user, the second operating mode is activated upon areceiving one or more signals that the earphones are detected within anear of a user while not being actively used, and the third operatingmode is activated upon a receiving one or more signals that theearphones are detected within an ear of a user while being activelyused.
 10. The earphone set forth in claim 9 wherein in the firstoperating mode, the sensor control circuitry electrically couples theplurality of touch pixels together and samples the plurality of touchpixels together as a single touch pixel and in the third operating modethe sensor control circuitry monitors each of the plurality of touchpixels separately.
 11. The earphone set forth in claim 10 wherein: inthe first operating mode, the sensor control circuitry samples the forcepixel and the plurality of touch pixels at a baseline frequency rate; inthe third operating mode, the sensor control circuitry samples the forcepixel and the plurality of touch pixels at a standard frequency that issubstantially higher than the baseline frequency rate; and in the secondoperating mode, the sensor control circuitry electrically couples theplurality of touch pixels together and samples the plurality of touchpixels together as a single touch pixel and force pixel at the standardfrequency rate.
 12. The earphone set forth in claim 9 wherein the sensorcontrol circuitry is further responsive to fourth and fifth operatingmodes in each of which the sensor control circuitry and force and touchsensors consume less power than in any of the first, second and thirdoperating modes, wherein the fourth operating mode is activated uponreceiving one or more signals that indicate the earphone is in thecharging case and fully charged and the fifth operating mode isactivated upon receiving one or more signals that indicate the earphoneis in the charging case and either not fully charged or that a lid ofthe charging case is open.
 13. The earphone set forth in claim 10wherein, in the third operating mode, the sensor control circuitryrepeatedly performs a plurality of sensor status checks at a standardfrequency rate where, in each sensor status check, the sensor controlcircuitry performs a plurality of operations including: detecting anoise level, detecting whether the force sensor has been activated, andindividually detecting whether each of the plurality of touch pixels hasbeen activated.
 14. The earphone set forth in claim 13 wherein thesensor control circuitry executes a baseline procedure check at abaseline frequency rate that is at least an order of magnitude less thanthe standard frequency rate, wherein during each baseline procedurecheck, the sensor control circuitry performs a first plurality ofoperations in which a voltage signal is applied to the force and touchpixels at a first frequency and then performs a second plurality ofoperations in which the voltage signal is applied to the force and touchpixels at a second frequency, different from the first frequency,wherein the plurality of first and second operations each include:detecting a noise level, detecting whether the force sensor has beenactivated, and individually detecting whether each of the plurality oftouch pixels has been activated.
 15. An earphone comprising: a devicehousing that defines an interior cavity within the device housing; anacoustic port formed through a wall of the device housing; an audiodriver disposed within the device housing and aligned to emit soundthrough the acoustic port; a user input region disposed along anexterior surface of the device housing; a flex circuit disposed withinthe interior cavity, the flex circuit including a first portion bondedat a first location to an inner surface of the device housing directlybeneath the user-input region, a second portion bonded at a secondlocation to an inner surface of the device housing spaced apart from thefirst location, and a third portion extending between the first andsecond portions; a force pixel disposed within the interior cavity andmounted to the first portion of the flex circuit below the user inputregion; a plurality of touch pixels disposed within the interior cavitybetween the force pixel and the user input region; sensor controlcircuitry disposed within the interior cavity and mounted to the secondportion of the flex circuit; and a wireless antenna disposed within theinterior cavity defined by the device housing.
 16. The earphone setforth in claim 15 wherein the touch pixels are formed within the firstportion of the flex circuit and the force pixel comprises a firstcapacitive plate mounted to the flex circuit and a second capacitiveplate mounted to the wireless antenna in a spaced apart relationshipwith the first capacitor plate.
 17. The earphone set forth in claim 15wherein the sensor control circuitry is operatively coupled to exciteand capture signals from both the touch pixels and the force pixel. 18.The earphone set forth in claim 15 wherein the sensor control circuitrycomprises a comprises an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)that is operatively coupled to excite the touch pixels and the forcepixel at a common frequency.
 19. The earphone set forth in claim 15wherein the sensor control circuitry is responsive to at least first,second and third operating modes that differ from each other in anamount of power consumed by the sensor control circuitry and force andtouch sensors, wherein the first operating mode is activated uponreceiving one or more signals indicating that the earphones are notwithin a charging case and not within an ear of a user, the secondoperating mode is activated upon a receiving one or more signals thatthe earphones are detected within an ear of a user while not beingactively used, and the third operating mode is activated upon areceiving one or more signals that the earphones are detected within anear of a user while being actively used.
 20. The earphone set forth inclaim 19 wherein in the first operating mode, the sensor controlcircuitry samples the force pixel and the plurality of touch pixels at abaseline frequency rate; in the third operating mode, the sensor controlcircuitry samples the force pixel and the plurality of touch pixels at astandard frequency that is substantially higher than the baselinefrequency rate; and in the second operating mode, the sensor controlcircuitry electrically couples the plurality of touch pixels togetherand samples the plurality of touch pixels together as a single touchpixel and force pixel at the standard frequency rate.